In the removal of weed plants from lawns and gardens, it is desireable to pull the entire weed, including the root, from the ground. This is often difficult to do without digging into the ground adjacent the weed and removing a great deal of soil along with the weed root.
One known tool for pulling weeds has two soil penetrating forks that are driven into the soil on opposite sides of the weed. The forks are pivoted together, with the tines of one fork passing between the tines of the other. The tool is then lifted to pull the weed. This tool does not provide a firm grip on the weed under the soil surface to pull the root from the ground. The actual engagement with the weed is very close to the soil surface, and the tool may consequently strip the upper parts of the weed, leaving the root in the ground and intact.
Another known form of weed puller uses two spade-like blades to grip a weed under the soil. Driving the wide spade blades through the soil requires considerable effort on the part of the user. The wide spade blades will, when lifted, remove a significant amount of soil with any weed, leaving a hole in the soil that must be repaired. The edges of the spade blades may cut off roots rather than gripping them to enable pulling of the complete weed.